The motor vehicle lock arrangement is assigned to a motor vehicle door, which normally comprises an inner door shell and an outer door shell. The expression “motor vehicle door” is to be understood in a broad sense. It includes in particular side doors, back doors, lift gates, trunk lids or engine hoods. Such a motor vehicle door may generally be designed as a sliding door as well.
The known motor vehicle lock arrangement (US 2014/0284940 A1), which is to be considered closest state of the art, comprises a motor vehicle lock with a lock element in the form of a pawl, which is assigned a catch. The catch is interacting with a lock striker in order to hold the motor vehicle door in its closed position.
The known motor vehicle lock comprises an actuation lever to deflect the lock element and thereby to open the motor vehicle lock. The actuation lever is coupled to an outer door handle via an elongate force transmission element in the form of a Bowden cable.
The known motor vehicle lock arrangement provides an exceptional crash safety in case the motor vehicle door is being deformed by a crash impact. For this the motor vehicle lock in its immediate vicinity comprises a crash element that may be deflected by the crash induced deformation of the motor vehicle door.
It has been found that a considerable risk during a side crash goes back on the Bowden cable between the outer door handle and the motor vehicle lock. For example, during a side crash, the Bowden cable may be deflected laterally to its extension such that it transmits a pulling force to the motor vehicle lock, leading to deflection of the pawl and as a result to opening of the motor vehicle lock. Also it has been found that during a side crash the inner cable and the outer sheath of the Bowden cable may get jammed during a side crash such that the Bowden cable only functions as a simple rope further increasing the risk of undesired deflection of the pawl.
As a result the use of an elongated force transmission element between the door handle and the actuation lever imposes a challenge to the known motor vehicle lock arrangement regarding its crash safety.